Georgann Johnson

Georgann Johnson was an American actress born on August 15, 1926 in Decorah, Iowa. After graduating from Luther College with a bachelor's degree, she earned her master's in oratory from Northwestern University, where her classmates included Paul Lynde, William Daniels, and Bonnie Bartlett. Johnson began her acting career in television commercials, and met her future husband, actor Stanley Prager, on the set of the 1953 revival of the play "Room Service." The pair would be married from 1956 until his death in 1972. They had four daughters: Carol, Anne, Sally, and Molly. By this time, Johnson had made her television debut as part of the regular cast of the sitcom "Mister Peepers" (NBC, 1952-55) for its first season. She appeared in numerous anthology shows, sitcoms, and dramas of the 1950s and '60s, including a trio of episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (CBS/NBC, 1955-1962) through 1956 and 1957. Johnson made her film debut in the iconic actor James Cagney's only directorial effort, "Short Cut to Hell" (1957). But over a decade later, never lacking in television parts, she would land her most widely recognized role as the rich woman who encounters John Voight's character in "Midnight Cowboy" (1969). The 1970s saw episodic appearances in soap operas and a slightly declining workload for Johnson, but Johnson appeared in more films than ever before and made herself known in numerous sitcoms during the 1980s. She appeared in Robert Altman's "HealtH" (1980), Michael Crichton's "Looker" (1981), "Three's Company" (ABC, 1977-1984), "Archie Bunker's Place" (CBS, 1979-1983), and Hal Ashby's "The Slugger's Wife" (1985). She also started a new relationship, marrying Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jack Tenner in 1981; the couple would remain together until his death in 2008. Johnson starred on the short-lived drama "Our Family Honor" (1985-86), appeared in the Kim Basinger/Bruce Willis-led film "Blind Date" (1989), and headed into the 1990s with a starring role on "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill" (CBS, 1990-92) and a recurring one on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (CBS, 1993-98). Johnson landed the "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998) episode "The Beard" in 1995, and made her last film appearance in the Tilda Swinton-led drama film "The Deep End" (2001). She made her last TV and acting appearance on an episode of "Cold Case" (CBS, 2003-2010) in 2007 after a career that spanned over 50 years and amassing over 100 credits. Johnson passed away on June 4, 2018 in Los Angeles, California at age 91.